Diseases such as venous insufficiency, lymphedema, and other edematous conditions can often result in the pooling of bodily fluids in areas of the body distal from the heart. Venous insufficiency can result when the superficial veins of an extremity empty into the deep veins of the lower leg. Normally, the contractions of the calf muscles act as a pump, moving blood into the popliteal vein, the outflow vessel. Failure of this pumping action can occur as a result of muscle weakness, overall chamber size reduction, valvular incompetence, and/or outflow obstruction. Each of these conditions can lead to venous stasis and hypertension in the affected area. Lymphedema, which is swelling due to a blockage of the lymph passages, may be caused by lymphatic obstruction, a blockage of the lymph vessels that drain fluid from tissues throughout the body. This is most commonly due to cancer surgery, general surgery, tumors, radiation treatments, trauma and congenital anomalies. Lymphedema is a chronic condition that currently has no cure.
Fluid accumulation can be painful and debilitating if not treated. Fluid accumulation can reduce oxygen transport, interfere with wound healing, provide a medium that support infections, or even result in the loss of a limb if left untreated.
Compression therapy devices are often used in the treatment of venous insufficiency by moving the accumulated bodily fluids. Additional conditions may also benefit from the use of compression therapy devices. Such devices typically include an air compressor that may blow air through tubes to an appliance such as a sleeve or boot containing a number of separately inflatable cells that is fitted over a problem area (such as an extremity or torso). Such devices may also include pneumatic components adapted to inflate and exhaust the cells, and control circuitry governing the pneumatic components. A therapeutic cycle or protocol may involve, for example, sequential inflation of the cells to a pre-set pressure in a distal to a proximal order, followed by exhausting all the cells in concert.
Effective compression therapy may rely upon the use of the proper equipment and proper therapeutic protocol. The compression sleeve device for treating a limb, for example, may provide a therapeutic amount of pressure to the affected limb if it is properly sized. A sleeve that is too small may be too tight for the patient to wear, and may be uncomfortable. Alternatively, a sleeve that is too large may not be able to attain sufficient pressure against the patent's limb. It would therefore be useful to have a means to determine the correct size of the sleeve for the patient.